Gas-detecting attachment for miners&#39; safety-lamps.



H0 MODEL.

WITNESSES PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.

- J. T. BEARD & M. D. MAOKIE. GAS DETECTING ATTACHMENT FORMINERS SAFETY LAMPS.

' APPLIOATION FILED APR. 10, 1902.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT QFFICE.

JAMES T. BEARD AND MATTHEW D. MAOKIE, OF SGRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-DETECTING ATTACHMENT FOR MlNERS SAFETY-LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,555, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed April 10, 1902. Serial No. 102,316. (No model.)

1"0 (0M whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, JAMES T. BEARD and MATTHEW D. MACKIE, citizens of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Detecting Attachments for Miners Safety-Lamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

Ourinvention relates to gas indicators andv detectors used in connection with miners safety-lamps; and the objects of the invention are to provide asimplified and inexpensive construction for such indicators, to rendersuchindicators attachable to the ordinary safety-lamps now in use, to render them more easily attachable and detachable, to detect with greater certainty the percentages or quantities of gas present, and other objects, as herein specified and claimed. To accomplish these purposes, our present invention is comprised in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts, as specitied, and illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a miners safety-lamp with parts of the gauze and bowl broken away to more clearly show the attachment of one of our detecting attachments. Fig. 2 is a detail View showing the construction of the base-piece of one of our detectors in the form illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a substitute form of constructing the base-piece in which the'said base is fitted" around the wick-tube. Fig.4 is an additional substitute form where the base-piece is substituted by a continuation of the wires forming the sides of our device and more especially adapting it tobe fitted against the present.

now in use; but the foregoing will be sufficient to illustrate the general character of our claims with reference 10 means of attachment to the lamp.

In the drawings, 1 denotes a supportingframe constructed from a continuous Wire or metallic strip bent in the general form of aninverted U and secured to the body of a miners safety-lamp 2 in such relation that the wicktube 3 occupies a middle position with reference to the'two sides of the frame 1. Stretching across tothe opposite sides of said metallic frame and directly over the wick-tube aforesaid are strands 4 5 6, &c., which are preferably made from platinum wire, but may be constructed from any other suitable incandescent substance. Any desired number of these strands may be attached and at such distances as may be deemed advisable and at such points-as may be determined upon to represent the several percentages or fractions of percentages of gas present, the principle on which the device operates being that the heat of the flame will cause a strand or bit of wire or other incandescent substance to be heated to a red color at a height above the flame in direct ratio to the amount of gas In practice we prefer, if possible, to have the supporting-frame 1 secured directly tothe milled ring 7, which is common in most lamps, to secure the wick-tube 3 into position by clamping the flange 8 thereof between the threaded rim 9 ofthe ring 7 and the diaphragm 10 of the lamp-bowl. When the substitute form shown in Fig 3 is used, the base-ring 7 is substituted by a disk 11, which is notched at 12 for the purpose of accommodating the wick-adjuster 13 and has a central opening to accommodate'the wicktube when this form is used. The disk 11 is clamped by an ordinary milled ring 7 aforesaid, the said base llcoi-nciding with the flange 8 of the wick-tube. When the basepiece is eliminated, as shown in Fig. 4, one or more coils 14. may be constructed and arranged to impinge against the sides of the 1' frame 1 by any suitable means. The edges of said flange may or may not be clamped between the diaphragm of the bowl and the lower rim of the upper part of the lamp in securing them together. When the form shownin Fig. 6 is used, a rigid piece 19, crescent in form, is soldered or otherwise secured to the lower end of the supporting-frame 1 and is provided with clips or springs 20, which may be sprung apart with the fingers, so as to permit the device to he slipped over the neck or bushing 18 of the bowl of the lamp.

The operation of the device is apparent. The supporting frame, with its sensitive strands 4 5 6,850., is arranged Within the lamp to be used, and the said strands are shifted to positions, determined by experiment, in which they represent percentages of gas present by becoming reddened with the heat of the flame, it being apparent, of course, that where high percentages of gas are present and one of the upper strands is reddened the intermediate and lower strands will also be heated to a redness. The user of the lamp of course will be informed of the danger limit and when the strands are heated to an unusual or dangerous height will abstain from working in such gaseous quarters. We have thus produced an inexpensive device which may be arranged to indicate any of the usual percentages of gas and maybe attached to the common forms of lamps.

We do not wish to be confined to the means of attachment shown, as many attachments may be resorted to which will support a series of sensitive substances over the flame ofa wick-tube of the lamp, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A gas-detecting attachment for miners safety-lamps comprised in a n-shaped supporting member, a series of wires arranged on said supporting member, a base-piece conmeeting the ends of said member, and means for attaching the said base-piece to the lamp so as to, hold the said supporting membervertical and over the wick-tube of the lamp, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a gas-detecting attachment for miners safety-lamps, a supporting-frame adapted to support a series of wires or other suitable bodies over the flame of the lamp, the said frame being provided with meansfor attaching the same to the lamp, for the purpose as specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES T. BEARD. MATTHEW D. MACKIE.

\Vitnesses:

P. P. SMITH, D. G. MORAN. 

